Thirteen CPS early childhood educators finalists for award

Educators recognized for dedication, innovation, leadership and commitment

Of the 13 CPS teacher finalists, 11 work in public schools, one works in a contract school, and one works in a charter school.

Thirteen Chicago Public Schools educators have been named “2009 Kohl McCormick Early Childhood Teaching Awards” finalists. The award recognizes teachers who exemplify the best practices of quality early childhood teaching: dedication, innovation, leadership, respect for children and their families, and commitment to professional growth.

“Nothing is more important than ensuring Chicago Public Schools provide the very best teachers and education for children during their formative years,” said district CEO Ron Huberman. “We applaud the tireless dedication and leadership demonstrated by these outstanding educators, and we encourage them to continue to make a difference by inspiring young people to learn and develop successfully.”

The Kohl McCormick Early Childhood Teaching Awards finalists work in preschools, home day care centers, childcare centers, Head Start programs, Preschool For All, and kindergarten through third-grade classrooms in public, private, and parochial schools in Cook and DuPage counties.

Nineteen total finalists represent metropolitan Chicago’s finest educators, who work with children between birth and age eight. Of the 13 CPS teacher finalists, 11 work in public schools, one works in a contract school, and one works in a charter school.

Five of the 19 finalists will be chosen to represent the best of the field, following a final application process that includes additional site visits and interviews by members of the Kohl McCormick Academy of Outstanding Educators.

“We are certainly encouraged that so many of our educators have drawn the attention of judges for the Kohl McCormick Academy of Outstanding Educators,” said Chicago Board of Education President Michael Scott. “The work done by teachers with the youngest students sets the stage for later educational success. We wish our CPS teachers luck in the next stage of judging.”

The CPS finalists are:

Dayna Darby, Talcott Fine Arts & Museum Academy (Preschool for All)
Alejandra De La Pena, Lloyd Elementary School (Head Start)
Arinda Feiwell, Josefa Ortiz de Dominguez Elementary School (Preschool for All)
Nicole Gaynor, Bret Harte Elementary School (EC Autism)
Elizabeth Goss, Legacy Charter School (second grade)
Petrina Haynes, Edgar Allen Poe Classical School (kindergarten)
Camia Hoard, Frazier Preparatory Academy (first grade)
Jenna Jung, Oriole Park Elementary School (Preschool for All)
Donna Kaufman, Louisa May Alcott School (first grade)
Lourdes Molina, Belmont Cragin Early Childhood Center (Preschool for All)
Karen Sabaka, Telpochcalli Elementary School (kindergarten)
Sabrina Silverstein, Josefa Ortiz de Dominguez Elementary School (Preschool for All)
Xiaodong Zhang, James Ward Elementary School (second grade)

The five award-winning educators will be announced in April and honored at the 2009 Kohl McCormick Early Childhood Teaching Awards luncheon ceremony on June 2, at the Westin River North in Chicago. The winners will receive $5,000 cash, $1,000 for their school or center, induction into the Kohl McCormick Academy of Outstanding Educators, a classroom visit and professional development from the StoryBus, a field trip and professional development at the Kohl Children’s Museum of Greater Chicago, and a graduate-level course at The Erikson Institute.

The Kohl McCormick Early Childhood Teaching Awards is the first awards program to formally recognize the contributions of teachers working with children from infancy through third grade. In its fourteenth year, the Kohl McCormick Awards program has become a model for recognition of outstanding early childhood educators. The Kohl McCormick Early Childhood Teaching Awards program is sponsored by the McCormick Foundation and the Dolores Kohl Education Foundation.